For the first time in six seasons, the Buffalo Sabres will have someone new leading their front office after the team announced they had replaced Kevyn Adams with Jarmo Kekalainen. He isn't necessarily new to the organization after joining during the summer as a senior advisor, and isn't new to being a general manager after over a decade of experience with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
A move like this during the season isn't uncommon, but usually teams make these moves and give the person, whether a general manager or head coach, the interim tag. The hope is that the person can help turn the franchise around, and if they do that, then they can earn a permanent role after that.
However, the Buffalo Sabres have skipped that step and named Kekalainen the permanent general manager, according to Elliotte Friedman. This is the only move the Sabres could make to justify making a change like this during the season.
Buffalo Sabres needed to commit to Jarmo Kekalainen in case he has to rebuild
As much as the Sabres hope to get back to the playoffs this season, they are still tied for last in the Eastern Conference. It isn't out of the question for them, but they will have work to do.
If they are not able to do that, the team is going to have to start thinking about how they can rebuild to get into a position like that. Unfortunately, they have some players currently on the roster, some of their top players, that might not want to stick around for something like that.
It starts with Alex Tuch, who is set to be a free agent after this season, and hasn't given any indication he is ready to sign a long-term deal. Based on some of the comments, it seems Tuch wants to see that this franchise can compete for a playoff spot consistently in what might be the final long-term contract he signs in the NHL.
For a player who hasn't played in a playoff game yet, it only makes sense that he would like to try and compete for a Stanley Cup before the end of his career. There are two other players that fall into that group as well in Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson.
Unlike Tuch, both of those players are under contract for a few more seasons. There isn't as much urgency to make a move this season, but after the season might be a different story. The last thing the Sabres want to do is try to navigate those trade discussions fresh off a general manager search.
Jarmo Kekalainen has plenty of experience building playoff teams based on what he did with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He got his first chance to be general manager after the Blue Jackets made a change mid-season during the 2012-13 season.
Then, in his first full season as general manager the Blue Jackets would make the playoffs and went on to make the playoffs in five of his first seven seasons. While he did only advance once, the Sabres at this point just need to get to the playoffs, and that would be a big step forward for fans and players like Tuch, Thompson, and Dahlin.
There is no guarantee that Kekalainen can build a playoff-caliber roster, but their commitment to him is something that they needed to do, looking at this season and beyond, for the Buffalo Sabres.